Random Penguin supporters can thank the speed of regulatory approvals, which have come quickly from around the world. The go-ahead from Canada arrived last week, and the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and the E.U. cleared the merger before that. "Only China has yet to green light the transaction," writes Flamm. Even so, the merger won't happen before early July, due to the need for "integration planning and business continuity."

According to the terms of the merger, Bertlesmann will maintain a 53 percent stake in the new company, and Pearson will keep 47 percent. And, oh yes, the company will be called Penguin Random House. But we all know what most of us will be thinking its name is.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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Jen Doll is a former staff writer for The Wire. She is the author of Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest.